Soldering pliers



March 3, 1931. F M, JOHNSON 1,795,256

soLnERING PLIERS Filed April 20, 1928 l J3 3Q U www Mz? ess @5% fww my m zatentecl Mar. 3, 1931 rmx n. JonNsoN, or rnnocxnoaron, 'rms soLnmu'Ne rLmns Appnumon mea April zo, 192s. semi no. 271,610. v

This invention relates to pliers and particularly to pliers used in dental laboratories to pick up pieces of old solder and simllar materials and hold t e same in a flame or 6 ut it in a crucible or any other suitable place or melting.

In discussing the present inventlon. 1t should be borne in mind that the handlmg of metal in a dental laboratory is a very deli- 1o cate matter and much time and material are lost and great inconvenience experienced on account of the lack of proper instruments for handling the material, such as a gold solder and the like used in dental work. Heretofore, ordinary dental pliers having a spring connection at their rear end, have been used for gripping the materials and 1n the use of such pliers it is necessary for the operator to at all times maintain a firm gri on the jaws, inasmuch as in pliers of this c aracter the gripping points or jaws are normally spread apart. Constant grlppmg of the jaws in this mannervis quite an annoylng ordeal to the operator and when long continued may result in cramps of the fingers. Not only that, but in gripping the jaws in front of the spring connection places the operators hand too close to a flame in case the material being gripped is to be fused or heated and he is likely in self-protection to drop the material. Much time and material of considerable value are in this manner lost.

The primary objects of the invention are to obviate the strain on the hand in gripping substances between the points or jaws o the pliers and to make it possible to-hold the device and at the same time keep the hand far enough from the heat for comfort. Further objects are simplicity, strength and cheapness of construction.

In the drawings which constitute part of this specification and which it is understood are to be considered as illustrative and can in no way limit the invention to the specific form shown:

Figure 1 shows in plan an embodiment of the invention.

VFigure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a view'simil'ar to Figure 1 show- Figure 4 is a detail section taken on line 1 4 of Figure 1looking in the direction of the arrows, and on a somewhat enlarged cale, showing details of the hinged connec- Figure 5 is a fragmentary disassembled view 0n the same scale as Figure 4 showing details of the hinge and spring.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the same reference characters, designating the 60 same parts in all figures of the drawings, 10 and 11 are gripping members of tapered elongated formation and being hingedly connected at 12 with grippin points or jaws 13 at one end in juxtaposed relation to each other. These jaws or gripping points may be curved, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or may be straight, as shown at v13a-in Figure 3, or any other form of jaws may be employed according to the use to which the'device is to be 70 put. Rearwardly of the hin ed connection 1s provlded means for normay holding the gripping points in gripping relation to each other. The means as shown inthe present embodiment constitutes a leaf spring 14 se- 75 curely connected by one end 15 to one of the gripping members by rivets 16, or in any other suitable manner. The opposite end 17 of the leaf springfis preferably curved, as shown in Figure 2, and is in sliding contact B0 with the thumb engaging portion 11a of the member 11 which extends rearwardly of the hinged connection. The member 10 is extended a suitable distance rearwardly of the member 11 to provide a gripping handle whereby the device may be gripped at a safe distance from the gripping points 13 and in this manner avoid the annoyance due to the high heat to which the substance being gripped may be submitted. The rear of the member 11 is provided with an enlarged surface at 11b so that the gripping lingers may be opened by mere pressure of one finger on this surface. In instruments of this character it is important that the gripping points should not be dislocated from their precise osition of juxtaposition and forthis reason 1t is necessary to have a firm and positive connection at the pivotal point. For this reason a series of spaced apertured ears 18 and 19 are M0 provided on the respective members, said ears being so spaced that those on one member will fit snugly between those of the other. As shown in Figure 4, the ears may be connected in any suitable manner as by a rivet 20 passing through the apertures provided therein.

The operation and advantages of the device, it is believed, are apparent from the above description and while a specific embodiment has been described I do not wish to be limited in the scope of my invention to the specific embodiment or to any other except as I shall be limited by the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what I claim is: Y Pliers adapted to be used for holding sol der when placing the same upon dental work comprising a. relatively long handle j aw provided at its inner side with a plane surface extending from end to end thereof, said jaw having pivot ears at its inner side and located approximately midway between the ends of the jaw, the side edges of said jaw converging toward each other from the ears to the gripping pointed end of said jaw, a shorter handle jaw having ears pivoted to the ears of the long jaw, and provided at its inner side with a plane surface extending from said ears to the end thereof, the side edges of the shorter jaw converging toward each other from the ears thereon to the gripping pointed end of said jaw, and a spring attached to the inner surface of the longer j aw in the vicinity of the ears thereof and having a free end bearing against the inner surface of the shorter jaw in the vicinity of the end thereof and the longer jaw having sufficient length of its inner plane surface extending beyond the end of the shorter jaw and adapted to serve as a hand gripping surface.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

FRANK M. JOHNSON. 

